Plated: Welcome back to Calgary Hy’s Steakhouse

There’s nothing better than a juicy, high-quality, well-cooked steak. And we Calgarians love our meat as Calgary is home to some of the best steakhouses in the world. When I saw the signs go up late last year at The Core indicating the return of one of the city’s premier restaurants, Hy’s Steakhouse, I was pretty darn stoked. I didn’t get to visit the previous Hy’s so was happy to finally get the chance to check it out upon its return. On a recent Friday night, the boyfriend and I made it a date night out, got dressed up and headed to Hy’s for dinner.

The former Holt Renfrew space has been completely changed with Hy’s. Dark wood paneling is mixed into a posh and comfortable dining space with tons of seating with a busy lounge section, a more casual “pub” area with the most massive TV you will ever see and formal dining areas as well. There’s even a patio area enclosed off of Stephen Avenue to enjoy the summertime heat.

The Hy’s menu reads like a classic steakhouse with all of the usual suspects: shrimp cocktails, surf and turf steak and lobster, cheesecake and more. On this night we decided to sample a few different options to get a taste of everything.

APPETIZERS

I had been told by numerous people and online reviews to get Hy’s famous cheese toast. Honestly, anything covered in cheese is an easy sell for me. The dish comes covered in foil, hot and ready to eat. Crunchy and cheesy, it’s a nice way to get your meal started.

We followed up with the crab cake and tuna tartare. Knowing that our mains would be beef-heavy, we wanted to get a taste of the sea in as well. The Dungeness crab cake comes with a housemade coleslaw and a giant dollop of dill mayonnaise on top (too much for my taste, just enough for boyfriend’s preference). What I liked about the crab cake was that the batter was light on the outside and still really allowed you to get that quality crab taste inside. Well-balanced and well-seasoned overall.

Tuna is one of my favourite dishes and Hy’s makes their tartare stand out with delicious, fresh cut ahi tuna. The taro root chips are elegantly crafted and pair well with the tuna. The purple root vegetable makes for tasty chips and look amazing on the plate.

MAINS

Now onto the main attractions of the evening: the steaks. I went for a filet mignon while boyfriend opted for the New York strip. I’m not overly adventurous with my meat so I can’t go full rare on the cook. I like my steak cooked, not mooing so I compromised with a medium setting. Hy’s uses prime beef from the top 2% graded beef available making for some of the best steaks you will ever try.

When we got our steaks we were a little concerned at how dark they looked on the outside. But upon cutting into our meals, it was evident that they were cooked exactly as requested and the “darkness” of the sear actually tasted pretty darn good. Each main also comes with a side such as mashed potatoes or rice pilaf making for a very hearty dish that will leave you very satisfied.

DESSERT

We didn’t have any! We were so full from everything else we couldn’t get ourselves on board for a sweet treat. Oh wells, just means I have to go back.

All in all, we had a lovely night out courtesy of Hy’s.  If you’re looking for a place to dress up and enjoy a fine dining experience, Hy’s fits the bill.